Senate Panel Faults Spending Plan For Land

November 7, 1985|By Donna Blanton, Sentinel Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE — A proposal to use up to 30 percent of the money in two state lands programs for development and management instead of buying new property drew sharp criticism Wednesday at a Senate Natural Resources Committee meeting.

The proposal was drafted by committee staff members, who said land already bought through the Save Our Rivers and the Conservation and Recreation Lands programs is sitting idle with few people aware of its existence.

Some money in the two funds could be used to improve the property by building restrooms and placing signs and trash cans in the area, staffers said. There also is a need for rangers, wildlife managers and other state workers to manage some of the land.

While several senators and the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources acknowledged that some of the property could be better managed, they said the state is growing so fast that virtually every penny available needs to be used for land acquisition.

''Part of the reason for money going to acquisition is because the lands are disappearing so fast,'' said Sen. Frank Mann, D-Fort Myers. ''Five years from now it's simply going to be gone. We will eventually find a way to use it and manage it.''

Elton Gissendanner, executive director of the natural resources agecy, said he is worried about setting a precedent of using money from the funds for personnel and administration. Those expenses now are largely paid through the state's general revenue fund.

Gissendanner said that politicians always are tempted to show the people what they are getting for their money immediately, but that sometimes it is best to wait.

Committee Chairman George Stuart Jr., however, said it is important to see some immediate benefit from the purchases.

''I appreciate us saving it for that third generation out there, but I'd also like my kids to use it, not my great-grandchildren,'' said Stuart, D- Orlando.

The conservation lands program generates about $40 million annually. More than 87,000 acres in 23 projects have been bought through the program since its creation in 1979. Although 10 percent of the money can be used for management, virtually none of it has been spent that way.

Among the properties acquired through the program are Rock Springs

Run in Orange County and a section of the North Peninsula in Volusia County.

The Save Our Rivers program generates between $30 million and $35 million annually for the purchase of sensitive land around rivers. All that money must be spent for land acquisition.

Since its creation in 1981, 136,402 acres have been bought through Save Our Rivers. Among those is Seminole Ranch, 28,785 acres in parts of Brevard, Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties.

In both programs the committee's staff recommended that 10 percent of the money go toward development and that up to 20 percent be funneled into personnel and operations.

A similar change was not recommended for the state's other major land acquisition program, Save Our Coasts. Fifteen projects have been bought with Save Our Coasts money since the program was created in 1981 for about $110 million.

Because cosatal property requires fewer improvements and less maintenance, no recommendation was made to divert money from land acquisition in that area, said Wayne Voigt, the committee's staff director.

The committee will consider the proposed bill further at next month's meeting. Although few senators seemed interested in pursuing the issue, Stuart warned them that House leaders also are interested in using more of the land acquisition money for management.

The staff director of the House Natural Resources Committee, Alan Whidby, acknowledged that his staff is reviewing the issue but that no proposal has been drafted.